Tag: Christa Watson

Quilt Shows and Trade Shows · Quilting Partners · Rose Cards · villa rosa designs

H&H Americas Show in Chicago

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Hello Quilty Friends!

Happy Thursday to you!

I’m now back home after the H&H Americas Show last week in Chicago and I’m trying to get everything caught up, which to be honest, I probably never will completely, but I’m sure going to try.

H&H was a really busy show. The show vibe was very vibrant and youthful with a unique blend of quilting, wool, fiber arts, and cosplay. I found it really interesting to see one area spill into another such as quilted garments in cosplay.

One of my favorite parts of the show was the opportunity to work with our VRD owner and Rose Queen, Pat. As I live in Pennsylvania while Pat and the VRD shop are in California, we usually only get to work together in person in Houston for Quilt Market. So, some extra time this year being face to face was amazing!

A booth display at the H&H Americas Show featuring colorful quilts and fabric designs by Villa Rose Designs, with a table showcasing various quilting products.

The VRD booth was insanely busy during the show and I want to thank everyone who stopped by. We LOVE our shops! Here’s a big thank you hug to all of you who came by the VRD booth to chat, share stories, and show quilts. Your energy is what keeps us going!

About H&H

H&H Americas is a relatively new trade show in the US for handmade industry businesses and professionals. The Americas show stemmed from the H&H Cologne (Germany) show. Let me share some of the numbers from this year’s show:

  • Over 550 booths
  • 5000+ professionals attended
  • 48 countries, 50 US states, and 2 US territories

Awesome applesauce!

Good news! In 2026, H&H is adding a Fiber+Fabric Craft Festival for consumers from April 30-May 3 in Chicago. So that’s something new to look forward to next year.

Upcoming Shows

Of course, in October 2025, Fall International Quilt Market will be in Houston, TX. It will be followed by Quilt Festival October 9-12, also in Houston. If you’ve never had the chance to attend a Festival, I highly recommend it. It’s the perfect place to see hundreds (or more) quilts on display along with tons of great vendors. It is overwhelming and wonderful at the same time!

I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of the Road to California show? Well, to make everything even more exciting in 2026, Road to California is debuting their Road to California Quilter’s Conference & Showcase event in January.

Spring International Quilt Market will return in April 2026 in St. Louis, Missouri. So far, I haven’t heard anything about Spring Quilt Festival for 2026, but if I hear anything, I’ll let you know.

Wowzer! Sew much is happening in the world of quilting!

Cool Stuff

Whenever I attend a show, I always like to share cool stuff I find, booths I visit, folks I see, and any trends I notice with you. Please enjoy!

Here are the booths of a few of our quilting partners. I apologize, but I didn’t get a lot of time to snap photos of our quilting partners.

A vibrant quilt display featuring colorful fabric and quilted items at a trade show booth, showcasing various patterns and designs.
Hoffman Fabrics
A booth at the H&H Americas Show featuring colorful quilt displays, with a woman sitting at the table and attendees browsing nearby.
Benartex
A busy booth area at a quilting show featuring colorful quilts displayed on walls, with people engaged in conversation and sitting at tables.
Riley Blake Designs
Display of various quilt blocks featuring colorful designs and patterns at the Banyan Batiks booth.
Banyan Batiks

The fun thing about the Banyan display is that it includes a quilt block from our VRD pattern, Waverly (top left block). Also in the display are 2 blocks from my friend, Cathey Laird of Cathey Marie Designs (the Bumblebee on the left of the sign and the House block to the right of the sign). What fun!

I stopped by to see my pals at Best Press and get some of their new Lemon Mist scent. I cannot find it anywhere around here, not even on Amazon so I bought the rest of the Lemon Mist bottles they had and also grabbed a refill bottle of Peaches and Cream. I should be set with Best Press for a while.

A booth display for Mary Ellen's Best Press at a quilting show, featuring colorful quilted decorations, various sizes of spray bottles, and a floral tablecloth.

I even caught up with a few quilty pals –

Here I am with Swan of Swam Amity Studios, who is the designer of my favorite machine quilting gloves. Swan also designs patterns and teaches classes. She kindly took the time to show me the Designers Showcase section at the show which featured 18 different designers.

Two smiling women posing for a selfie in front of a colorful quilt display at a quilting show.

Here is Swan’s mini booth at the Designer Showcase.

A colorful quilting booth featuring designs by Swan Amity and Larkspur Lane Designs, showcasing various quilted items, including wall hangings and pillows, with a vibrant display of fabrics and patterns.

I also got some time to chat with Christa Watson of Christa Quilts. Christa is an amazing machine quilter, teacher, pattern designer, fabric designer, and author. We are standing in front of Christa’s booth in the Designer Showcase area. She has a fun modern aesthetic and is definitely NOT afraid of color. LOL!

Two women smiling together at a quilting show, standing in front of colorful quilts and quilt patterns displayed on a wall.

I found this really fun designer booth, Whole Circle Studio, in the showcase section, too, and I just had to snap a few photos to share with you. Sherri, the owner, created an amazing miniature quilt shop featuring teeny tiny patterns and quilts (all her designs, of course). What a showstopper!

Display of Whole Circle Studio showcasing colorful quilt patterns, embroidery kits, and a miniature quilt shop setup.
A colorful quilt display featuring various mini quilts and quilting supplies on wooden shelves, showcasing vibrant patterns and designs geared towards quilting enthusiasts.

I stopped by the Purple Moose Designs booth in the Designer Showcase and I discovered a cool new quilting card game called Quilter’s Block Party. It’s kind of like Pictionary for quilters. Can’t wait to try it out with my Friday gals.

Cover of the Quilter's Block Party card game, featuring colorful quilt block designs and a playful typography that states 'Quilter's Block Party!'

I must admit that the show layout was a lot different than I am used to and I got lost frequently, trying to find specific booths or simply the ladies room – LOL! On one of my meanders, I found a fabulous Kaffe Fasset display with his quilts and knitted items. I couldn’t tell you where I found it – by that time I had no idea where I was. Kaffe and Brandon Mobly were there at the show, but I never really got a chance to say hi. Please enjoy.

A colorful quilt display by Kaffe Fassett featuring various patterns and fabrics, beside a poster for the Kaffe Fassett Glorious Colour & Design Exhibit.
A vibrant display of quilts featuring colorful patterns, including a wall quilt with floral designs and a garment hanging among the fabric backdrop at a quilting show.
A vibrant quilt display featuring two intricate quilts at a trade show, set against a black backdrop. The left quilt has a diamond pattern with colorful floral designs, while the right quilt showcases a patchwork style with various colors.
A colorful quilt display featuring a vibrant quilted jacket and a large patchwork quilt, both set against black fabric walls.
A vibrant display featuring colorful quilts and a quilted garment at a quilting show booth.
A vibrant display featuring two quilts and a quilted garment at a quilting show. The left quilt has colorful zigzag patterns, while the right quilt showcases a diamond design. A multicolored quilted jacket is hanging in the center.
A display at a quilting show featuring two colorful quilts and a quilted garment hanging in the center.
A display of colorful quilts at a trade show, including one featuring a diamond pattern in vibrant colors and another with a patchwork design. The backdrop consists of black curtains, and the floor is covered in light blue carpeting.
A display at a quilting show featuring three quilts and a colorful quilted garment, set against black draped fabric.

During the show, there was a cosplay contest as well as a cool cosplay display. Check out these awesome costumes. Which one is your favorite?

Two colorful costumes displayed at a cosplay event, featuring a glamorous pink gown adorned with stars and a rich red dress with intricate details.
Two mannequins dressed in elaborate cosplay outfits, one in a pink traditional-inspired costume with a decorative headpiece and holding a large umbrella, and the other in a Victorian-style dress with ruffles, showcasing intricate design details.
A mannequin dressed in an elaborate light blue gown representing a cosplay character, displayed next to a sign indicating the cosplay exhibit and competition categories.
Cosplay exhibit featuring two mannequins dressed in vibrant costumes. The left mannequin is wearing a pink dress with puffed sleeves and a crown, while the right mannequin is in a colorful suit with floral accents and a mask. In the background, a sign indicates 'Scissor Wizard Cosplay' and 'Laughing Rat Cosplay'.
Cosplay display featuring three elaborate costumes at the H&H Americas Show, showcasing a blend of cultural elements and craftsmanship.
A colorful cosplay exhibit featuring a dress made of vibrant papel picado designs in various colors, displayed alongside a sign indicating the design credits and competition details.
Display of several cosplay costumes at a convention, featuring mannequins dressed in vibrant outfits. One costume resembles a character with a dark cloak and red accents, while another showcases a character with a green cape and floral headpiece. A sign indicates the cosplay exhibit and competition area.
Three cosplay costumes displayed on mannequins at a convention, featuring vibrant colors and intricate designs.
Two mannequins dressed in colorful costumes displayed at a cosplay event, with a sign in the background indicating a cosplay contest.
A display featuring two elaborate cosplay outfits at a convention: on the left, a character dressed in a dark purple and black costume with dramatic sleeves and a headpiece; on the right, a larger costume resembling a character with flowing tentacle-like details in green and black.
Two cosplay outfits on display at a competition, one featuring a colorful top and shorts, and the other resembling a nature-inspired costume with green and brown tones.

What’s Trending

Whenever I am at a show, I try to see what’s new and upcoming and what’s trending. Here is a list of the things I noticed at the show:

  • Mini, Mini, Mini — mini quilts, mini animals, everything is getting smaller
  • Quilted jackets and wearables
  • Combining different crafts such as cosplay and quilting or wool and quilting
  • Small handwork projects and kits everywhere — handwork is hot!
  • Animals — stuffed, patchwork, knitted, quilted, etc., etc.

One thing I was quite fascinated with was the use of puffy batting in machine quilted quilts on display at the Art Glass Fabric booth. Not sure if this is going to be trending or if it was just to catch attention (which it did). Have you seen or heard anything about puffy batts making a comeback?

Well, I guess that’s it for me this week. My final photo is an aerial view of Chicago and Lake Michigan as I was headed back to Pennsylvania.

Aerial view of Chicago featuring a mix of buildings, green spaces, and Lake Michigan in the background.

Take care and make time this week for some quilting. With all the inspiration from the show, I hope to get some quality time with my sewing machine, too.

Until next week –

Sew. Laugh. Be inspired. Repeat.

Always,

Tricia @VRD